Please note this event is taking place at Garland Grange… Jackie was a hard-working member of Garland Grange and Piscataquis Pomona. Valley Grange is supporting and encouraging others to honor Jackie’s service to her communities and to offer some help to her family at this difficult time.

Those who cannot attend may send a donation to

Garland Grange
Bill Bemis
102 Merrill Road
Corrina ME 04928

If you’d like to help by working at the supper or donating food/supplies, call Bill at 924-4123. Thanks!

As part of their Community Care Program, Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union recently presented a donation to Valley Grange. Employees contributed based on their “dress down” Fridays with the proceeds being distributed to local community organizations. Walter Boomsma, Program Director for Valley Grange noted, “Through no fault of our own, we recently lost part of the funding of our Words for Thirds Dictionary Program, so this is perfect timing and will help us to continue to give a dictionary to every third grader in four area districts. Thank you!”

We’re looking for some bakers to help out with our “Balloons and Bake Sale” at River Festival on July 28, 2018this year… in addition to free balloons for the kids, we will be offering baked goods (individually wrapped portions) for sale to raise funds for our many community service programs. Creativity is certainly encouraged but to give a sense, we’re looking for things like brownies, whoopie pies, cookies… what’s your specialty? One batch will help!

Proceeds will help us maintain our hall and the many community service programs we offer every year such as:

Words for Thirds — every third grader in Guilford, Brownville, Dover Foxcroft, Dexter, and Harmony gets their very own dictionary to keep forever.

We can’t resist sharing a few notes we’ve received from Mrs. Gokas’ Third Grade Class at Piscataquis Community Elementary School! The kids wrote them as part of wrapping up this school year and getting ready for summer.

Dear Valley Grange,

Thank you for all you do for our school. It means a lot to us. We enjoy all the stuff you help make happen. For example, Bookworm, Arts Alive, Words for Thirds, and GrowME.

I have a lot of fun doing all of these programs you help with.

I like the dictionary that you gave us.

Thank you for letting us read to you and be able to have Arts Alive and other programs like Arts Alive.

K.W.

(We think she really likes Arts Alive!)

Dear Valley Grange,

Thank you for all that you have done for our school. We really appreciate it.

The GrowME Program was really fun. My grass plant is still alive.

The dictionary, Words for Thirds that you have given third grade has been really helpful for me in the time that has passed.

The Bookworm Program has been really enjoyable in the passed two years. It has taught me to read more comfortably with other people each time.

The Arts Alive Program that you’ve helped with over the years have made it very enjoyable for our school.

Thank you so much!!

Sincerely,

D.W.

Dear Vally Grange,

Thank you for all the stuff you do for us.

A few things you do are GrowME, Word for Thirds, Bookworms, and Arts Alive.

You do that for our school.

From,

A.H.

Dear Valley Grange,

Thank you for all of the things you have done for us.

One thing you have done that I know that all of us appreciate is you giving all of us a dictionary. I know we use it a lot.

The next thing you have done for us is that you put on the program GrowME. For example, this year we built dirt babies. That was really fun.

My favorite part is when you come in and have us read to you. I love to read with Bookworms.

Sincerely,

C.L.

Dear Third Graders,

Thank you for your letters. We are glad you enjoy and appreciate the things we do together.

We really like learning, working, and playing with you. We have fun too!

We’ve learned that Representative Paul Stearns will be presenting Lt. Jamie Kane with a Legislative Sentiment in recognition of receiving the Valley Grange Community Citizen of the year award. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at the Piscataquis County Commissioners Meeting. The meeting is open to the public and is held in the Peakes Building (white building) next to the Courthouse and starts at 8:30 am.

Congratulations to Lt James Kane of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office for his well-deserved receipt of the Valley Grange 2018 Community Citizen of the Year Award! And, thanks to the help of Tim Richardson and Chandra Kane, a large group of friends and family managed to totally surprise him. (He thought he was going fishing!)

In presenting the award, Valley Grange Master James Annis noted it’s a “high honor” and one that isn’t taken lightly. “Valley Grange values community and appreciates those who go ‘above and beyond’ to serve us.”

Additional testimonials and stories mentioned Lt. Kane’s role as a DARE officer at two schools and his get things done attitude when a need arises. When told a child being sponsored to attend a day camp didn’t have the proper clothing, shoes, and sleeping bag, “What do we do now?” Lt Kane said, without hesitation, “Let’s go shopping.” He even received a group hug from the girls’ baseball team he coaches at PCHS. PCHS Principal John Keane said, “I have been principal at six different schools in four districts and the best law enforcement official I have ever met.”

Describing the value of community and community service, Valley Grange Program Director challenged those present not to compare themselves to Lt Kane, “Don’t feel inadequate. Doing little things can add up. Let’s find more Lt Kanes and let’s each be a little more like him.”

Thursday, May 17 — Mr. Boomsma will be at school to read starting at 10:10 a.m.

Friday, May 18 — Community Night at Valley Grange! Join us for a potluck supper at 6:00 p.m. and program at 7:00 p.m. — Find out who is Community Citizen of the Year!

Tuesday, May 22 — Mrs. Kimball will be at school to read starting at 10:10 a.m.

Thursday, May 24 — Mrs. Orton will be at school to read starting at 10:10 a.m.

Friday, May 25 — No School. Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Tuesday, May 29 — Mrs. Lander will be at school to read starting at 10:10 a.m

Thursday, May 31 — Mrs. Orton will be at school to read starting at 10:10 a.m.

Remember… every Tuesday at 5:30 pm, kids and parents can join Miss Dunton in the PCES Cafeteria for the first “Tuesdays Together” Program — an after-school program featuring cutting edge design thinking and problem-solving.

The Grange is now just over 150 years old. On December 4, 1867, sitting around a plain wooden table in Washington, DC, seven men organized the Grange. They were all men of vision – had faith in God, their fellow man, and the future. Their focus was on agriculture and the principle that life would not exist without farming. From these humble beginnings, a fraternal order known as the Patrons of Husbandry was born.

Through the years the Grange has been responsible for many projects that have made life better for both farmers and the average citizen. In 1896, the Order was the impetus behind getting the Rural Free Delivery system implemented. This allowed the mail to be delivered directly to farm families who used to have to travel for miles into town to pick up their mail. And, of course, it continues to this day.

When the Grange was organized the forward-thinking men recognized the importance of women in the farm household. This was well before women had the right to vote. In the Grange, there are four offices that can only be held by women. And they were also given an equal voice in all matters coming before the body with full voting privileges.

Do you have an idea to make life better? In the Grange, there is a way to see your ideas come into being. In your local Grange, you can write a resolution explaining your idea and present it to the members. The members discuss it and vote on it. If passed it goes on to the County Grange, or Pomona Grange, where the same happens. Then it will go to the State Grange and be presented at their annual conference, discussed and passed. It is a great way to have your voice heard.

There are several active Granges locally. Our Grange is Valley Grange, located at 172 Guilford Center Road. We do many activities throughout the year to help our community. From Project Linus to knitting to working on several projects with the local school children, it’s all a labor of love. To find out more about the Granges nearby you can visit the Maine State Grange website (mainestategrange.org) or the Valley Grange website (valleygrange.com). We are a friendly group of people and love to have visitors at our meetings. The next meeting scheduled for Valley Grange is May 18, when we will be presenting our Community Citizen of the Year Award. It’s an “open” meeting, beginning at 6 pm with a potluck supper and the ceremonies beginning at 7 pm. We’d love to have you come.